Blog zabawa z bezsennością

Na kiedy TV Radio gitarzysta i producent Dave Sitek nadzwyczajny postanowiła wydać album, w jego słowa "dostać kilka pop z mojego systemu", postanowił jego śpiew nie był zupełnie się tego zadania, więc biorąc pod uwagę Jego imponujące połączenia po prostu śmigały przez jego wypełnione Rolodex talent do głosu jego Balon projektu Maximum.

Sitek sam tworzy bardzo spójne podkład muzyczny w całej dokumentacji, rzeczywiście działa w zakresie stosunkowo niewielkie pod względem instrumentarium: gitara, gitara basowa, syntezatory, maszyny perkusyjne z dość dziwne części róg album rzucania cala zasadniczo taka sama jak sonic palety TVOTR się , ale texturally bez ścierne więcej aspektów ich brzmienia, przy jednoczesnym shying od ciężkich przedmiotów, które widzi każdy TVOTR krytyków album traktować jak state-of-the-adres narodu. Gitary skreślać klasyczne brzmienie funk Chic i syntezatory błyszczą lub buzz w stylu można oczekiwać od nowoczesnego rekord pop, cały dźwięk najeżone seksualności wskazuje jego uwodzicielskie rytmy.

Otwierający album widzi Teofil London powoływać się na "Chcę, żebyś groove me baby na mocne basowe, które podsuwa celowo, a potrójnie hi-kapelusze są prawie same w sobie mocno zdyszany między wyciszona gitara i żywe riffy klawiatury. Singiel "Tiger" zmierza w tym samym. Bez uciekania się do zdjęcia z wepchnięcie miednice do każdej piosenki, rytm i brudne synth zieje naprawdę wzbudzić a (t) Humping ruchu, który Smoki Zynth raper Aku grasuje po drodze (dosłownie miauczy w jednym punkcie), przed piosenka kończy się slick disco face-off gitary i rogi parping. Model Daisy Lowe z pewnością dostrzegł potencjał kiedy zapytała korzystania z utworu w celu wije się wokół jej bieliznę dla Esquire (hm, w ten sposób panowie ).

Rekord nie jest jednak zbyt zmysłowy, dzięki stale zmieniających płeć śpiewaków całym. "Po powrocie" z jednoczesnym zamiarem tętni zapewniając jednocześnie miękkie łóżko dźwięku dla Yukumi Nagano, szwedzkiego electro-pukawki Little Dragon, do coo zmysłowo. To takie utwory jak ten, które pokazują, jak wyzwolona Sitek jest pojęcie rekordu jest jednorazowa. Nieskrępowanym przez wszelkiej troski o odtworzenie utworów na scenie na żywo ma wolną rękę do warstwy różnych dźwięków, głównie synth dźwięki, jak misternie i / lub gęsto, jak mu się podoba. Część emocji utworów, takich jak lśniące disco-impulsowe "Young Love" jest, jak wiele może pack do piosenki, ale Sitek wie, kiedy taśma piosenki z powrotem, pozwalając Moroder-esque fundacji disco wyciagnac euforii jak głos Forda wznosi się majestatycznie na outro.

Gdy więcej tekstur ściernych, dla których Sitek jest lepiej znany wydają się to całkiem właściwe, że robią to w towarzystwie Tunde Adebimpe. Metronomicznego beat jest zakłócone przez brudny talerz zachlapaniem, kątowe gitara haczyków sękate i paskudny, podczas gdy syntezatory upust i buzz złowieszczy melodie. Adebimpe trzyma się cielesny temat jednak, że "będę komunikatora, twój minister, Twoja chorobliwa ciekawość, w rękach w nocy jesteś zabawką". , Natomiast wkład Adebimpe brzmi upodlony, kolega kolegi z zespołu Kyp Malone's pojawienie się na "Shakedown" jest tylko rozpustna, choć nieodparcie więc, przypominając Prince z jego Dysząco falsetem przez funk niespokojny i tlące wpływ na wszystkie lounge woozy tempo.

Jeśli wszystko to brzmi dość zajęty przyjemności ciała kosztem duszy to jest to, ponieważ jest naprawdę. Punktu zapisu nie zajmuje się tym samym do ciężkich polityczno-społeczne lub osobiste sprawy, że jego zespół w pełnym wymiarze czasu zrobić, ale mimo wszystko rekord może zrobić z dawką patosu. "Lekcje" próby bardziej ponury dźwięk, ale brak zainteresowania melodii, które nadmiernie przetworzonych pokonać nie może zastąpić, a glitch-jeździł szczepów ethereal bliższej 'Pink Bricks "cierpi na ten sam problem, mimo kojący śpiew przez niemożliwie nazwie Ambrosia Pietruszka. Jakoś pięknie spokojny wokal z Karen O uda się nadać "Communion", z większym uczuciem niż naprawdę powinien być możliwe biorąc pod uwagę, że spędza większość piosenek pisma "Gimme, że beat".

Wielkich nazwa wokalno składek jedynie David Byrne rozczarowuje. Nie, że jest coś bardzo złego z "Wrestling Apartments" per se, ale muzycznie to zawdzięczam po Remain In Light Talking Heads, że po prostu czuje się jak Byrne jest skąpane w jego wpływ, mimo że to rodzaj zabawy, wszystko jedno. Ostatecznie, że to wyłączenie, które można zastosować do rekordu jako całości, choć nigdy nie jest przełomowa, jest to dizzyingly dobre wyniki pop, i podczas gdy składki członków TVOTR wróży dobrze nowym albumem, Maksymalna Balon naprawdę wielki producent i autor tekstów wykazujące jego znaczne talenty wolne od presji i oczekiwań jego dzień pracy.

Bono, a szykując się do wznowienia zespołu mamuta 360 tour w maju, "doznał poważnych ucisku nerwu kulszowego", jak niemiecki lekarz, który ostatecznie przebudowany 50-letni wyjaśnił.

Wykonawcy wymaga operacji i dużej rehabilitacji. Zespół będzie musiał odłożyć na półkę American odcinek trasy i przyjrzeć się na nowo w Europie w sierpniu.

Do przodu do 16 sierpnia. U2 zagra dziś tylko pokazać ich piątym z powrotem - z drugiej dwie noce z rzędu w niewielkim ("To nawet nie 360," perkusista Larry Mullen Jr ubolewa) stadion piłkarski w Horsens w Danii.

Książę Frederik był w domu wieczorem. Dziś to modelka Helena Christensen dopuszczenie duński królewskiej.

Dwukrotnie nagłówek jest oczywiście test fitness Bono - na scenie mleczka publiczność każdego ostatnią kroplę energii, aby przetrwać show.

Pre-show, Mullen powiedział, że jest zaskoczony, że lider nie zrobić sobie poważną szkodę dużo wcześniej w karierze zespołu.

"On spadł ze sceny. On wycieczki nad regularnie i dostaje prosto w górę, nigdy nie problem. Więc jestem zaskoczony ... on zwykle odbija! "

The Edge jest mniej prawdopodobne, wisecracks o Bono z powrotem na korki. Dla gitarzysty, to nic bardziej egzystencjalny kryzys.

"Jesteśmy zespołem, który grać w grad, deszcz czy słońce i bez względu na to, co dzieje się fizycznie, czy ktoś jest chory, ale grypa, po prostu grać. Tak było to dla mnie szok, kiedy w końcu musiał przyznać, że rzeczywiście nie można wykonać ", mówi. "Bono słynne na wycieczkę Joshua Tree spadła i oddzielone ramię, co stanowi poważne szkody i przypisuje, czyli piłkarzy z działań na okres sześciu miesięcy, ale on mnie przywiązany i dalej i zrobiliśmy show na każdym tej trasy.

"Więc to był pierwszy raz, że poszliśmy," Oh wow, nie jesteśmy w rzeczywistości nadludzkie. Nie jest w rzeczywistości ludzkiej słabości związane z zespołem. Trzeba było wziąć, że na pokładzie.

"Dużą wiadomością jest to, że jest, powiedziałbym, 95 procent z powrotem do pełnego zdrowia fizycznego i pokaż co zdaje się być coraz bliżej szczytowej formie, a głos jest tak dobry jak zawsze.

Co Edge istotne bity - wszelkie ustawienia w RSI?

"Nie, nie, że nie mam dość dziwny ból album lub ból, ale nic to, że niepokojące. To tylko rodzaj rzeczy, które miały miejsce freak ".

"Nie wiem", Mullen powiedział, wracając do skłonności Bono na wypadnięciu. "To znaczy, że jest się całkowicie wykorzystywane na przestrzeni lat. Kiedy myślałem o tym, kwota skacząc z etapów, zagrożeń fizycznych ... "

"O wiele bardziej w pierwszych dniach też" Edge zgadza. "Na początku wzięliśmy za pewnik, że Bono będzie do końca pokazu być skalowanie rusztowania, i wielokrotnie był przestraszony życie z nas nie tyle - dlatego, że to dziwne, nieuzasadnione zaufanie, że będzie grzywny - ale naszych pracowników miejsc będzie tylko trzęsawiska w ich buty.

"Ten jeden raz wyskoczył z balkonu na drugim piętrze w dół w tłum, który chwycił go i znów pomyślałem," To było trochę dużo, ale nasi ludzie touring tylko poszedł całkowicie orzechy.

"Myślę, że część z tego powodu Bono nigdy nie zaszkodzi się podczas pokazu to ilość adrenaliny będzie przez system, a on stracił w muzyce tak bardzo, że on ma tej odporności, że normalny człowiek nie miałby".

Dla wszystkich wspaniałych drogach startowych, spider-jak nogi i oczy topnienia, 43m głębokości cylindrycznym ekranem, dla zespołu, powierzchnia 360, w rzeczywistości jest tak mała, że jeśli Bono jest upadek, to on najprawdopodobniej na wycieczkę jeden z jego koledzy z zespołu. (A może bym się on na chwilę oślepiony przez odbicia od basista Adam Clayton srebrne spodnie w.)

Małym obszarze sprawia, że The Edge etapie czuć narażone - "Jesteśmy naprawdę tam w taki sposób, byśmy nigdy nie byli wcześniej."

Mullen opisuje scenę, jak: "Właściwie bardzo intymne. To tylko z innych rzeczy wokół niego, wygląda o wiele więcej zastraszenia niż jest w rzeczywistości.

"To niesamowite miejsce do gry. Istnieje rzeczywisty związek z publicznością, że trudno znaleźć na stadionie. To z pewnością najlepszy etap w jaką kiedykolwiek grałem na. I nie jestem, że tak czy inaczej-d, wiesz, jak zrobić postęp, Zrobię co w mojej pracy, zrobię, co mam robić. Ale miło jest być na scenie, gdzie czujesz, "Och, to jest naprawdę coś".

Być może największą niespodzianką show widzi zwykle niechętnie Mullen wychodzi z tyłu zestawu, dumnie dróg startowych z Bongosy. Trudno powiedzieć, czy on rzeczywiście korzystających, chociaż.

"Czasami uderza rzeczy od 30 lat odbywa się we znaki, więc różne grymasy na twarzy nie musi być z moją niechęć do tego, co robię, to może być, że mam w zasadzie tylko pociągnął innych nogę" 48-letni mówi z ironicznym uśmiechem.

"Nie, mi się podoba, to dziwne uczucie. Nigdy nie zrobiłem tego wcześniej, nie tak. I już to jest w środku i po prostu biec z powrotem w górę, ale w rzeczywistości o chodzić i wykonywać do ludzi jest inna.

"Zaczynasz sobie sprawę, jak gówno jesteś w bębny w tych, kiedy stoisz przed, że wiele osób -" S-, jestem naprawdę zła na tym, lepiej pójść do domu i praktyki! " "

Z okazji Europejskiego nogi, zestaw posiada funkcjonalny cztery piosenki z albumu U2 ubiegłego roku, nr linii na horyzoncie - Get on Your Boots, Wspaniały, I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight Moment of Surrender i .

Choć żaden z nowych piosenek były hity rywalizować z tymi, których pocierać plecy w set-liście (zespoły Mysterious Ways, Elevation, Nowy Rok, With or Without You), naprawdę zapalić w na żywo.

Nr linii na horyzoncie sprzedał ponad pięć milionów kopii w ciągu półtora roku - to wynik niezadowalający U2 w ziemi. Kiedy Hit podnosi ten brak sukcesu komercyjnego, Mullen, który wszedł do pokoju niosąc obiad (pierś kurczaka i warzyw, w przypadku, gdy zastanawiali) rzuca sztućce na talerzu i sprawia, że do burzy się.

"Nie pozwolę na to!"

Mniejszym zespół prawdopodobnie nie byłoby dowcipy. U2 są jednak również w kontakcie z rzeczywistością branży muzycznej, a ich miejsce w nim. Przyjmowania do albumu nie zapukał ich zaufanie.

"No Line Horizon, nadal jestem bardzo dumny i myślę, że wstanie z naszych najlepszych albumów" The Edge mówi. "Ale chyba niedoceniana w środowisku, w którym wydana jest znaczenie posiadania może jeden utwór, który wybuchł pożar.

"To wzmocnione tym zakresie, że na przebicie świadomości społecznej w tej chwili za uwolnienie muzyki jest trudne. Tak masz albo muszę mieć jakieś platformy, niektóre ogromne rzecz przywiązany do piosenki, lub po prostu muszę być tak bezwzględny i poza-out hitem, że wykonuje całą pracę dla ciebie ... i nie sądzę, mieliśmy jedną z tych ".

Będzie w następnej wersji U2 być tradycyjny album?

"Jesteśmy otwarci," Edge mówi.

"Jesteśmy otwarci na wszelkie muzyczne kieruje nas do zrobienia. Czujemy się trochę sfrustrowany, że jesteśmy ograniczone tym formacie CD, gdy istnieją wszystkie te potężne możliwości, aby pracować, aby tam w Internecie, że nie jesteśmy w pełni wykorzystuje. Ale to sprowadza się do bardzo podstawowe pytania, co jest najlepsze dla muzyki i mamy rekord dotyczy, mamy publikowanie ofert, musimy myśleć o tych umowach, a także w jaki sposób zamierzamy zarabiać, "śmieje się.

"Nic zaprezentowała się jeszcze, że mówi" to jest to ", ale mogę tylko przypuszczać, że wkrótce nie będę bardzo ciekawych rzeczy do zrobienia, jeśli chodzi o muzykę sposób mogą być rozpowszechniane za pomocą Internetu, a my z prawa na to, kiedy się pojawić. "

Mullen uważa, że przemysł potrzebuje "Silver Bullet", który zmieni wszystko, zwłaszcza początkującym artystom.

"To nie ma wpływu na nas, będzie za późno dla nas, ale ma wpływ na wiele innych osób," mówi.

"Czy potrzebny jest rynek muzyczny kick-up? Tak, oczywiście, że nie. Czy ceny należy zmienić? Tak, oczywiście. Są uprawnionych? Oczywiście są. Ale ludzie nie są uprawnieni do muzyki za darmo. Perkusista Blur jest częścią tej organizacji, aby w zasadzie to, że każdy powinien mieć możliwość pobierania muzyki za darmo.

"To dobrze dla niego, że jest się wystarczająco dużo pieniędzy, ale faktycznie on karierę, on faktycznie robi bardzo dobrze dziękuję bardzo. Wielu artystów nie mają takiego luksusu. Więc to trochę nieuczciwe i nieszczere.

"To problem, który nic nie przyjdzie do głowy w ciągu najbliższych kilku lat i mam nadzieję, ktoś odkryje, że coś, a my będziemy skakać z tyłu to ... czy może być z przodu, którą ja wolę być ".

Jeśli jakiś nastolatek wannabe zbliżył Mullen na ulicy, by go ostrzec od weteran karierę w muzyce?

"Nie chciałbym ostrzec ich, ale Myślę, że chcą iść do niego zarówno z otwartymi oczami."

Rozmowa z Mullen i The Edge, pojawi się uczucie U2 będzie prowadzić niezależnie. Irlandczycy są nieustannie rozwijana przez odkrywanie.

"My wciąż podekscytowani mogąc dostać się do pokoju i właściwie kawałek muzyki, która nie brzmi naprawdę bzdura," mówi Mullen.

"W końcu, to, co napędza nas myśl, że można jeszcze dostać podekscytowany tym, i dobrze się bawić i czuć się naprawdę jesteśmy osiągnięcia - spróbujmy być lepiej, pomimo nas samych.

"Ponieważ nikt z nas ... to znaczy Edge to chyba całkiem nieźle, ale reszta z nas ... to znaczy, że wszyscy dobrze, że jesteśmy dobrzy w U2 jest".

"I To wspaniałe, że wszystko musimy być dobrzy, szczerzy zęby Edge.

"Na szczęście, bo to chyba wszystko jesteśmy w stanie być dobrze."

ZOBACZ U2 z Jay-Z, ANZ Stadium, 13 grudnia wyprzedane, Dec 14, jutro w sprzedaży godzina trzynasta, 39,90 dolarów do 349,50 dolarów, Ticketek.

Zoe Badwi wchodzi do pokoju na rozmowę Warner Music, a ja jestem tam uderza, jak bardzo jest piękna. Atletycznie cienkie, z tussles ciemne blond włosy, rock chic skórzaną kurtkę i buty studded komplement siebie idealnie.

"Cześć jestem Zoe," mówi. Jestem zdecydowanie charmed. I nie jestem w żaden sposób zaskoczony, że gwiazda muzyki dance z Bliskiego Wschodu, dziedzictwa Irlandii nie pracował również jako aktorka i modelka przed jej karierą gwiazdora muzyki.

"Pracowałam w kilku różnych dziedzinach, ale w momencie, kiedy odważył się muzyką, wiedziałem, że tam, gdzie chciałem być. To po prostu zebrane wszystkie elementy, które kocham robić, i chodzi mi naturalnie. To naprawdę czyni mnie uśmiech ... i wiele innych też się wydaje, "mówi mi.

Zaczynamy od rozmowy o jej wspaniałego Freefallin jednym ", który miał swoją premierę na tej samej Same w ostatnim czasie. W weekend, stał się # 1 w Australii rekord klubu. # 4 najbardziej dodana utwór do radia w pierwszym tygodniu, podłoga uplifting-wypełniacz wyprodukowany przez australijską Denzal Park znalazł również wsparcie na ogromne nadawców radiowych w całym kraju. Ona jest w miłości z toru, to chętnie występuje dokładnie i wyraźnie zachwycony to nic nie robi tak dobrze.

Sprawdź awesome video na Freefallin "tutaj.

Z Sirens do Solo

Badwi zaczęła wypad do przemysłu muzycznego z pop Sirens akt i strzelił 2 top 10 hits Aussie zanim wokalista Black Dog, który ona nadal występuje z.

Ona także pisze i zapisy jingle. "Uwielbiam robić im, jak bardzo dziwny album, jak się wydaje," mówi. "W rzeczywistości, wiele osób wie, ale rekord jingle i reklamach AUStereo. Są to tyle radości ... jest to jeden z moich ulubionych miejsc pracy do zrobienia. Słuchać na zewnątrz! Następnym razem, kiedy słyszę "MIX 101,1" - to ja! "

Ale to jej praca jako artysta solowy, że naprawdę zawrotnym tempie jej do sfery pop dance. To był karierę solową, że powstała w wyniku przypadkowego spotkania. Badwi grał koncert z Black Dog, które TV Rock Grant Smilie widziałem. On był pod wrażeniem i po koncercie mówili o piśmie i współpracy. Badwi kojcu Release Me i TV Rock produkowane utworu. Reszta jest historią.

burst Badwi na scenę pod koniec 2008 roku. Release Me strzał prosto na # 1, w którym panował ogromny 7 tygodni z rzędu chodzi do odebrania nominacji zarówno na ARIA i nagrody APRA. Utwór odwołanie szybko wziął go poza Australian brzegu - później została wydana w 26 krajach na całym świecie, w których nadal wypełnia parkiety powyżej 18 miesięcy później. -Lista producentów Freemasons nazwał swój ulubiony utwór z 2009 roku, mówiąc, że nadal grać na koncertach w każdym tygodniu.

Wszystko zależy, to całkiem niesamowity sukces, zwłaszcza biorąc pod uwagę, że to tylko na początku tej stosunkowo nowej muzyki pop.

"To jest nierealne, wiem! Muszę się uszczypnąć czasem. Tyle działo się tak szybko, że trudno mieć czas na naprawdę perspektywy na jej temat. Wiem tylko, że tu jestem i że kocham to co drugi. Moja muzyka jest przy mnie w całej Australii i na świecie. Jestem tylko o udać się do Los Angeles, New York, UK ... można w to uwierzyć!?

Międzynarodowy sukces i niesamowite występy

Badwi z utworów zostały tak dobrze, że skończyło się na niesamowite występy lokalnych i międzynarodowych w ciągu ostatnich 12 miesięcy. Jak mówimy o karierze podkreśla pory zaczyna opowiadać o wykonanie na niesławny Sensation White Party w Melbourne na Sylwestra 2008 obok Erick Morillo i 40.000 graczy. Potem był czas grała koncert w greckiej wyspie Mykonos, tuż przy plaży.

Nieco ponad miesiąc temu, piosenkarka przeprowadzone w Brazylii, gdzie Release Me zostało # 5 najczęściej odtwarzany utwór roku. Była zdziwiony, jak wiele osób - zwłaszcza za granicą, gdzie język angielski nie jest głównym językiem - są związane z jej muzyki.

"I robi niesamowite koncert w Brazylii ponad miesiąc temu ... Byłam zszokowana, by wszyscy ludzie śpiewają moje piosenki w tłumie. Czas przetrzymywania w ustach nie tylko słowami, ale śpiew na szczycie płuca! To niesamowite uczucie wiedzieć, że ludzie kontaktują się z moją muzykę w tym stylu. "

Połączenie tęczy

Zoe Badwi pewnością nie jest obcy dla społeczności gejowskiej, po zagraniu w kilku z naszych największych imprez tanecznych i imprez społeczności w całym kraju. Ostatnio występowała w ekskluzywnych urodzin Rogue / Daywash strony organizatora Dean Murphy. I jej piosenki wypełnieniu parkietach każdego gay bar na naszym kontynencie godziwej. Dokładnie tak jak zrobił jej połączenie z gejowska zacząć?

"To naprawdę zaczęło się, gdy poznałem DJ Sydney Murray Hood," wyjaśnia. "Słyszał mój utwór i zaprosił mnie do śpiewania na żywo na koncercie był organizacji. Moja miłość do społeczności gejowskiej się z chwilą wszedłem do koncertu i czułem, że wszystkie niesamowite energii.

"Brzmi lepki, i jestem pewien, wszyscy mówią, ale ja naprawdę oznacza to, że ... Kocham społeczności gejowskiej. Oni naprawdę czują muzykę ... to. To tak, jakby cały świat zatrzymuje się, kiedy utwór jest wielki. Potrzebę wyrażania siebie i tańca i świętowania jest tak przedstawić. I jako wykonawca, dając z siebie wszystko, mogę poczuć miłość i wdzięczność z powrotem. "

Badwi już wykonywane w Sleaze, ale mówi, że ona miłość do występu na Mardi Gras, i otrzymać drugą szansę wystąpić na Harbour Party. Została zaproszona do gry w Harbour w zeszłym roku, ale musiał zrezygnować w ostatniej chwili. To było bardzo rozczarowujące sytuacji wykonawcy.

"Miałem grać w Harbour Party w zeszłym roku i jestem strasznie chora. To był jedyny czas, jaki kiedykolwiek musiał odwołać koncert i byłem całkowicie zniszczona! I tak doczekać ... Mardi Gras tłum, piękny port i Opery ... Naprawdę mam nadzieję, dostanę jeszcze jedną szansę, aby wykonać. Że jest jeszcze koncert naprawdę chcę robić. Nigdy nie robiłam Mardi Gras albo ... Bardzo chciałbym, aby to zrobić! "

Listę życzeń i jej debiutancki album

Jeśli chodzi o producentów do Australii, Badwi już okazję pracować z nazwy dość imponująca, zarówno w produkcji i remiksów. Obecnie pracuje na swoją debiutancką płytę, i stos utworów do jeszcze pisać i produkować, zastanawiałem się, gdyby ktoś się w szczególności na jej listy życzeń pracować.

"I na pewno mają listę życzeń! Sloveig Martin i David Guetta są na jej temat. Czuje się jak odległe marzenie na tym etapie, ale to, które ja też chcę pracować. Bliżej domu, będę naprawdę kochać również do współpracy z dziewczynami nervo na piśmie i niektórych utworów. Kocham ich rzeczy. Genialny, i myślę, że mielibyśmy dokonać wspaniałych rzeczy. "

Warner PR mówią mi, że możemy się spodziewać Badwi na gorąco oczekiwany album około lutego przyszłego roku, ale piosenkarz potajemnie szepty, że może trzeba poczekać dłużej.

"Myślę, że chce nagrać execs album na początku przyszłego roku, ale nie jestem w tyle z pośpiechu ... Może w połowie przyszłego roku. Chcę wziąć mój czas i zrobić to dobrze.

"Nie ma nic gorszego niż album z utworów wypełniających. Jako słuchacz, można powiedzieć, że czuje się zmuszony ... i puste w środku, i na pewno nie będzie miał z tego bar mój pierwszy album. Naprawdę chcę ten album za najlepszy mogę dać. All Killer, No Filler ".

Czy ma szczególne kierownictwo muzyczne, że czuje się naprawdę własną?

"Jestem osobiście uwagę na soul, rock i pop, ale ja to uwielbiam, kiedy to wszystko trochę grungy bit. Taniec, co mam Obecnie jest tworzona, ale zawsze będę miał te elementy w muzyce robię ... To tylko, kim jestem.

"Każdy ma swoje zdanie o tym, co należy i nie należy robić jako artysta, i bardzo łatwo może ulegać wpływowi od" kim jesteś ", przez co jest gorące i mody. Myślę, że to naprawdę ważne, aby pozostać wiernym, kim jestem i co staram się tworzyć. Wiem, że jeśli czuję, gdybym w to wierzy, to robię to dobrze i mogę zapewnić mu wszystko co mam. I Wanna Be Me, doprowadzić mnie najlepsze i odnosić sukcesy, które robisz. "

Freefallin jest obecnie już przez Warner Music.

Miałem swoje IPAD za około miesiąc i teraz tym bardziej zbadać dostępne aplikacje bardziej zdaję sobie sprawę, IPAD zoptymalizowany, wysokiej rozdzielczości apps są koniecznością. Niektóre aplikacje nadal dostępny tylko w formacie iPhone, tylko rozpadnie się na dużym ekranie IPAD. Mam kilka mogę żyć z nich korzystać, bo rzadko, ale Facebook jest jednym używam na co dzień. Możesz w to uwierzyć? Facebook wciąż nie wydała oficjalnego IPAD app. Podczas korzystania z iPhone w wersji na IPAD wygląda okropnie.

I tak określone, aby sprawdzić, czy są jakieś lepsze aplikacje dostępu do IPAD na Facebook. Znalazłem dwóch, Friendly i społeczne . Oba są lepsze niż oficjalna aplikacja Facebook, ale nie jest idealnym rozwiązaniem.

Obie aplikacje są ważne uaktualnienie do korzystania z iPhone aplikacja Facebook tylko dlatego, że są przeznaczone do wysokiej rozdzielczości ekranu IPAD Mają one czyste interfejs ułatwia nawigację, przyjazną pomocą kart nawigacji u góry i społeczne za pomocą paska nawigacji u dołu .

Przyjazny brakuje wielu funkcji. Nie można wysyłać zdjęcia, albumy fotograficzne i nie można utworzyć zdarzenia lub notatek. Nie można też utworzyć stronę lub grupy.

With Social you can't use the new Places location feature in Facebook and the chat feature has bare-bones features and is labeled “experimental.” Despite those flaws, pretty much every other Facebook function is available. A cool, drop-down menu gives you shortcuts to post a new message, write a private message, upload a photo, create a photo album, create a group, create an event and create a page.

There is one really irritating thing about Social that gives me pause. When logging in you have to enter your Facebook information on two separate screens. The developers explain that the Social app uses a combination of the normal web page access to Facebook and the official Facebook API. This wouldn't be as irritating if the app would retain your login info but it doesn't do that consistently.

Both Friendly and Social display photo galleries very nicely. Friendly uses a nice slideshow interface which seems kind of pretty odd album, considering there isn'ta way to create galleries or import photos though the app.

As I said earlier, both apps are a major upgrade from using the low-res iPhone Facebook app on the iPad. Friendly ($.99) is more of a Facebook browser with limited functionality and a very clean interface. Social ($1.99) has a clean interface too with almost all the functionality you have in the normal web version of Facebook. If they fix the irritating double login issue, Social will be the clear winner.

You don't go about making records the way that most people do. it doesn't seem to be the reason you do this. Do you feel like there's another drive other than money though.

We've made music we like. If i was just trying to make money I'd be doing something else. It's hard, it's really hard work. We spend more hours than a 9-5 job. We probably make less than minimum wage.

You put Me & You up on Amy Street and gave the proceeds to Komen Cancer Center. Was there anything behind that, do you have a connection to that particular charity?

The record was out on the internet. We just figured it would be nice to give the proceeds to charity. The band hadn't done anything nice like that in a long time.

There are a lot of bands that don't ever do that sort of thing.

True. We were happy to do it.

The new record, Lisbon, was recorded really quickly. Were you guys just on a roll or did you just push through it?

The actual recording is usually pretty quick. You tend to know if something is going to die in a couple hours. You're like 'i hate this'. but it's the writing that takes months and months.

I read that you laid down 28 tracks during recording but only putting 11 on the album. Are there any plans for the rest of the songs?

We are planning a 7-inch and we have some sort of song on the internet. We also have some respectable B-sides and stuff like that.

If you were going to write the soundtrack to any movie. which would it be and why?

Maybe like meatballs?

why would you choose that?

I don't know why, it just sounds funny.

You came to Seattle in early 2009 to numbs and right before that you came to 2008 Bumbershoot. Are you happy to come back to the Northwest?

Yeah it's been a while. I do like [Seattle] and I like being there.

What do you like about the Seattle fans?

Seattle is a place where people really started liking us early on in our band like 8 years ago. But then everyone sort of turned on us after our second record. But then they came back around when we released You & Me. Where was it we played last time we were here?

At Neumos back in January of '09 I think.

Neumos is a great place, and I like that area too.

One last question for you. Do you think you'll stick it out for another 10 years?

I think we have a lot more stuff to do. I think, i mean we already have some stuff for our next record. So i think we'll be together for a while.

Our friends at Gothamist brought the Walkmen over for a music series called Gothamist House . This time they were out and about in New York's Public Library Shwarzman Building. Take a gander at the fantastic live set they captured.

Knoxville: It's a tough town. And if you don't learn the ropes fast, you're liable to get bruised. But don't worry—we're going to make life easier for you. All you have to do is read our second volume of tips, pointers, and words to the wise on getting by in this burg, and you'll be on easy street. (Results may vary.)

Read our Insider's Guide, Vol. 1 here!

Do Not Cross: Intersections to Avoid

Because of its geography and sometimes haphazard patterns of development, Knoxville has a lot of badly designed street intersections. Here are a few that it's worth going out of your way to miss:

• Gay Street and Union Avenue: There's a Proposition 8 joke in here somewhere about the difficulties of gay union, but this pretty odd albumball downtown dogleg has possibly the most confusing signaling for both vehicles and pedestrians of any crossroads in town. There are times when the assorted red lights seem to indicate that nobody is supposed to go anywhere at all. In any case, it's best to proceed with caution whether behind the wheel or on foot.

• North Road Peters / Cedar Bluff: Ten potworny plątaniny torów kolei i drogi międzystanowej nr 40 wejść i wyjść jest szeroki, dziwne, i żałośnie oznakowane. Miej oko na nagłe przełączniki lane jako kierowcy zbyt późno sobie sprawę, że nie masz gdzie trzeba, aby tam, gdzie chcą iść.

• 17th Street i Clinch Avenue: four-way przecięcia z trzech znaków stop. Ze względu na nachylenie stoku w 17th Street wspina się z Gazy, północ ruch idzie prosto przez samochody, co oznacza, że w trzech pozostałych stronach skrzyżowania muszą pogodzić nie tylko normalne, którzy-goes-etykiety, ale także pierwsze należy zwrócić uwagę dla każdego ruchu pozycją na wzgórzu. Jeśli to brzmi niebezpieczne, to dlatego, że jest. (Rozwidlone skrzyżowaniu 17 i Highland tylko na ulicy nie jest dużo lepszy. Nasz przykład można tutaj, pobyt poza 17-sze.)

• Henley Street / Broadway / Summit Hill / Western Avenue: dwie ulice z czterech nazwisk wnieść coś jak 20 pasów ruchu oraz w wielu przejściach, który obejmuje północno-południowym wzgórzu, nie zwracając-stop połączenie wschód na szczycie wzgórza z Henley, i na wpół ślepy krzywej pozycji na zachód od szczytu wzgórza w kierunku zachodnim. Skrętu w lewo strzałki pomoc, ale istnieje tak wiele zmiennych, które łatwo przeoczyć nadjeżdżających pojazdów, aż będzie prawie na szczycie Ciebie. (Skrzyżowań po obu Henley Street Bridge są dość straszne. Oczywiście TDOT jest o to, aby nie tylko łatwe, ale nie obowiązkowe, bez tych, kiedy to zamyka most w styczniu).

• Lindy Drive / Linford Road / Chapman autostrady: Naprawdę, jesteś przy życiu w rękach nie-w każdym ruchu na skrzyżowaniu Chapman oświetlone autostrady. Ale ten, obok Ice Cream Kay, jest szczególnie trudne, ponieważ jest w Lindy w kąt i nie całkiem zgodne z Linford prosto przez drogę (jeśli jesteś na tyle głupi, aby próbować rzeczywiście krzyż Chapman i nie tylko z kolei na to). (JFM)

Eat With Your Dog On Patios Restauracja Bez Kicked Getting Out

Możesz być z pup przy każdym posiłku, jeśli chcesz. Knoxville w prawie nowych "psy na patio restauracji prawa oznacza, że wiele restauracji, bar-martini i ochotę do francuskiego bistro bar kawowy i Chick-fil-A-pozwoli Ci zabrać psa podczas kolacji. Oto kilka ważnych zasad do zapamiętania: pies nie może dostać się na krzesła, stoły i inne meble, nie może wejść do środka, a musi być na smyczy niechowane nie dłużej niż 6 stóp. I jeśli szczeniak jest poza kontrolą, na już! To zawsze dobry pomysł, aby zadzwonić z wyprzedzeniem, by zapewnić dostępność miejsc patio. (RK)

Śródmieście

Coolato Gelato

524 S. Gay Street, 971-5449

Grill & Browar Downtown

424 S. Gay St 633-8111

Centrum Grind

418 S. Gay St 524-4747

Na rynku francuskim

526 S. Gay St 540-4372

La Costa

Rynek 31, 566-0275

Kupa Uncorked

20 Market Square, 521-0600

Zachowania Pub

28 Market Square, 524-2224

Rita's Ice Water

26 Market Square, 673-4888

S & W Grand

516 S. Gay St 566-9800

Szafir

428 S. Gay St 637-8181

Shonos w mieście

5 Rynku, 544-5800

Piłka nożna Taco

9 Rynku, 544-4471

Bearden / West Knoxville

Agave i meksykańskich Azul Grill Bar Tequila

4405 Kingston Pike, 212-9966

Chez Liberty

5200 Kingston Pike, 330-9862

Chick-fil-A

7063 Kingston Pike, 690-5447

Gourmet Rynku

5107 Kingston Pike, 584-8739

Pelancho's Mexican Grill

1516 Śródmieście Zachód Blvd., 694-9060

Rick's Sports Bar Place Otoczenie

1537 Śródmieście Zachód Blvd., 693-4028

Piłka nożna Taco

6701 Kingston Pike, 588-2020

/ Stare Miasto Śródmieście Północ

Jęczmienia szynk i Pizzeria

200 Ave E. Jackson., 521-0092

Urban Corner Cafe & Bar

109 N. Central St 546-2800

Veg-O-Rama

1204 N. Central Ave., 540-8346

Powierzchnia Campus UT

Cool Beans

1817 Lake Ave., 522-6417

Mellow Mushroom

2109 Cumberland Ave., 524-7979

Jedenaście rzeczy można zrobić, lub zobaczyć tylko w Knoxville

Identyfikacji wyjątkowość jest swego rodzaju wyzwaniem, ponieważ od lat wielu Knoxvillians oceniać sukces precyzja z jaką instytucje Knoxville przypominały te w innych miastach. Przez lata, miasto wydaje się dążyć do niczego, ale wyjątkowy. Przez całe dziesięciolecia nazywa się najbrudniejszych miast na świecie i najbrzydsze miasto w USA, najbardziej grzeszne miasta, niechlujny, cokolwiek, cokolwiek, Knoxville tylko chciała być normalna. Bawić się z innymi miastami i nie śmiał się lub patrzył. Ale jakoś, po drodze, znaleźliśmy się z kilku atrakcji, które nie są dokładnie tak samo jak nic innego na świecie.

Rachmaninow Statue: Może są jeszcze inne wielkie posągi z najbardziej znanych rosyjskich wieku pianista 20-sze / kompozytor gdzieś w świecie, ale chyba nie sugeruje Internet. (Jego stosunki z pomnikiem-mad Sowieci niepokój.) Rosyjski rzeźbiarz Viktor Bokarev ten chciał stanąć w mieście, gdzie jego idol wydania ostatecznej realizacji w 1943 roku.

Time Warp Herbaciarnia: Część wspólna Tamale, sklep cappuccino strony, część brytyjskiego muzeum motocykli, części vintage pinball arcade, ale z prawdziwego salon-bar-era nie ma, jesteśmy przekonani, że jak nigdzie na świecie.

WDVX Blue Plate Special: Każdego dnia w południe, jest to radio na żywo Americana pokaż na dobę prawo Gay Street. Bonus: w Knoxville, rzeczywiście można oglądać dwóch żywych pokazuje w ciągu jednego dobrego przerwy na lunch. Knox ivi-video na żywo talk-show odmiany godzina jedenasta Rock znajduje się na Rynku w każdy dzień powszedni w tytule czas. Czy są inne miasta, które oferują darmowe muzyka na żywo, emitowane w radio, na co dzień? Będziemy przewidują możliwość. But we'll warrant that there are no cities where two unassociated studios offer live daily shows within a four-minute walk of each other.

The Sunsphere : Announced in 1982 as the only spherical building in the world, maybe it still is. And it's partly made of powdered gold! We take our Sunsphere for granted, and some of us hate it, but have you ever seen anything like it?

Rossini Festival : Okay, sometimes we forget to include the actual Rossini part, but the annual springtime wine-and-singing-in-the-street fair is the only festival in the Western Hemisphere honoring Italy's early opera genius.

Alex Haley Statue : When it was built in 1999, sculptor Tina Allen (1949-2008) claimed her work was the largest statue of an African-American in the world. It's still the biggest one we've ever seen, and it's made to be climbable.

The Vol Navy : There are a very few football stadiums as big as Neyland, but none are beside a navigable river that suggests anything as weird as the phenomenon of the floating bright-orange party.

Farragut Museum : We have looked for other collections of 1930s Hollywood star Wallace Beery's scrimshaw depictions of Civil War naval battles, and found none. The museum, in Farragut Town Hall, is further enhanced by a new bronze statue of the intrepid Union commander outside.

Biscuit Festival : Believe it or not, the first one ever, in June, was somehow the only one in the history of the world. And hence, extremely popular.

Airplane Filling Station : Built on Clinton Highway in 1930, it's said to be the only one of its kind, a filling station where you could gas up under the port wing. It hasn't pumped gas since the 1960s, but an earnest preservation effort has stabilized it, and is raising money for a full restoration.

Ijams Nature Center : Swamp, forest, river, field, caves, lake, canyon, and now even a tiny desert, Ijams is a serendipitous kaleidoscope of ecosystems within walking distance. If there's another place like it, you'll have to show us.

And still to come, though parts of it are already open to the public: Legacy Parks Foundation's Urban Wilderness and Historic Corridor, a long term project expected to be the only park linking multiple ruins of Civil War forts within view of a central business district. (JN)

Neighborhood Joints That You May Not Know About if You Don't Live in the Neighborhood

Sure, we all know the places everyone likes to eat in Knoxville. Litton's, Calhoun's, Tomato Head, Regas, Chesapeake's, and so on. But there's another whole category of out-of-the-way places frequented only by people who actually live near them. They might not have the best food in town, but they're reliable and friendly and once you get to know them, they feel like your own little place. A few local favorites:

Three Brothers Pizza

200 W. Woodland Ave.

It's easy to miss this pizza-pasta-sub shop on West Woodland Avenue between North Central and the Interstate 275 overpass. It's set back from the road, next to the Woodland Mart & Deli. But for residents of the area rapidly becoming known as Downtown North, it's a go-to for takeout or pizza delivery. (It was known as Woodland Pizza until sometime last year.) If you want to eat in, you can expect a no-fuss/no-frills set up.

La Esperanza

2412 Washington Pike

A Mexican restaurant that doubles as a grocery store, this unassuming place gets raves from North Hills and Fairmont/Emoriland diners. Not as well known as the nearby Senor Taco on North Broadway, but more auténtico—or so its advocates claim—and not so likely to be crowded.

Firedog Pizza/Deli Market

310 13th St.

A real student-ghetto sort of place, with your basic convenience-store supplies and a full deli menu including well-made pizza, all-day breakfast, and subs. But the things to look for are: the Middle Eastern features, including falafels, hummus, and Mediterranean salads; and the “Wedge” selections, which like the menu says are “baked like a pizza and served like a sandwich.” And Juggalos take note: The store is the only one in town we know of to offer several flavors of Faygo.

The Round Up

3643 Sevierville Pike

This South Knox standby is a classic meat-and-three place, with the daily menu handwritten on a wipe board and cozy booths and café tables filling the modest room. There are a few coin-op games for kids to play around with, and if that doesn't keep them happy, the banana pudding probably will.

Blackbird Coffeehouse

1210 Kenesaw Ave.

Located in Sequoyah Hills' small and often overlooked commercial district, this friendly, spacious place offers breakfast and lunch Monday-Friday, and brunch until 1 pm on Saturdays. Then there's the coffee: fair trade, organic, and aromatic. (Also an assortment of teas for those so inclined.) If you live anywhere near here, there's no reason to ever darken the door of a corporate coffee chain. (JFM)

Find Your Place in Society

Nie można połączyć się z dość tradycyjnym społecznej sceny w mieście? Don't worry—there are all sorts of pretty odd album clubs in town tailored to very, very specific interests. Here are just a few examples:

New Comic Book Day Discussion Group

Organized Play, 221 Cumberland Ave., 865-521-0690

organizedplay.org

Hardcore comics nerds know that new comics are released every Wednesday. So what better day to hold a discussion group about comics—the characters and storylines, as well as the big business behind them—than the day when readers come in to pick up their new stacks? Since January, downtown's Organized Play has been doing just that with a weekly roundtable discussion group on Wednesdays at 6 pm

Tennessee Valley Exotic Bird Club

tennesseevalleyexoticbirdclub.com

The fact that there's a local club for owners of exotic birds—parrots, cockatoos, cockatiels, macaws—might not be a big surprise, but the fact that it's been around since 1968 is.

Rationalists of East Tennessee

rationalists.org

Pay attention to local politics and you'll notice that reason and logic aren't necessarily at the top of the list of East Tennessee's cultural attributes, which makes this long-running club extra-noteworthy. The Rationalists meet several times a month for roundtable discussions, lectures, and reading groups. Some recent topics: “The Decline, Fall, and Potential Resurrection of American Education,” the state of journalism, and “Reflections on Privacy.”

The Society for Creative Anachronism

thorsmountain.org

The local chapter of the international organization is the Barony of Thor's Mountain, a sub-group of the regional Kingdom of Meridies. Participation is immersive—it's pretty much a finely detailed recreation of life in the middle ages—and the monthly calendar is full of everything from classes on how to swordfight and metallurgy to business meetings, with three epic tournaments every year. (ME)

How to Busk and Panhandle Without Getting Busted and Manhandled

Busking, or street performing, has gotten some attention this year thanks to Bill “The Busker” Page (or rather, thanks to some overzealous city police and the Regal employees who called them). Back in May, Page—often seen downtown with his guitar and dog—was issued a citation for obstructing the sidewalk in front of a vacant storefront next to the Regal Riviera theater. Page fought the charge and won. His ordeal reminded people that busking is perfectly legal, but some things you might do while engaged in busking are not. So if you're going to share your talent with the world, here's what you need to know: The city code says you can't “willfully loaf, loiter, idle, lounge, swing or promenade” in, near, or in front of “any public place of business, worship or other public place,” or any “public street, highway, bridge, sidewalk or other public thoroughfare or public place” in a way that would obstruct or impede its use by others. And that's pretty much it—don't block anyone. And that applies to everyone, not just the swingers and promenaders out there.

If you're going to pass the hat, however, things get a bit more complicated. The aggressive solicitation ordinance—known to most as the “panhandling ordinance”—says you can't solicit in an aggressive manner. The rub, of course, is how “aggressive” gets defined. The city code spells out in legalese all the things that qualify as aggressive, but here's a Cliff's Notes version of what you can't engage in while trying to earn a buck:

1. No touching! You can't intentionally or recklessly make physical contact with another person without his or her consent.

2. No following! You can't follow someone if you're trying to:

a. cause a person to fear imminent bodily harm or a criminal act upon the person's property; or

b. intimidate the person into giving you money. As you might have learned from living in the world, there's not really any good reason to follow anyone, ever.

3. No means no! You can't continue to solicit within 20 feet of a person after he or she has said no, if continuing is:

a. See No. 2.

4. No obstructing! You can't block someone's way, or require someone on foot or in a vehicle to take evasive action to avoid contact with you.

5. Keep the hustle clean, folks! You can't intentionally or recklessly use obscene or abusive language or gestures, if it results in:

a. See No. 2.

6. And finally, you can't approach anyone in a way that involves any of the reasons from No. 2. (In case you haven't noticed, subsections A and B of No. 2 are the gods of the panhandling universe.)

Ale czekaj! To nie wszystko. There are also restrictions on when, where, and how panhandling can take place, so beggars, bring your tape measures and international clocks because you can't solicit:

1. After sunset and before sunrise (defined by the US Naval Observatory, something most panhandlers should be checking daily if they're not).

2. In any public transportation vehicle—so no buses, or buses cross-dressing as trolleys—or within 20 feet of any bus station, bus stop, or taxi stand.

3. From someone in a vehicle, or entering or exiting one.

4. Within 20 feet of: a crosswalk, bank, check-cashing business (c'mon people, these are reputable establishments), or ATM; an entrance to or exit from any public toilets (good thing we got rid of these!), which includes any temporary-use site or portable toilet (never mind); a parking-lot pay box, pay telephone, sidewalk cafe, or outdoor dining area.

8. In any parking lot or garage owned or operated by the city, including entryways or exits and paystations.

10. From a person waiting to enter a business.

12. On private property if the owner or tenant has asked you not to panhandle there, or has posted a sign that solicitations aren't welcome.

13. From drivers, in exchange for cleaning a vehicle's windows, blocking, occupying or reserving a public parking space, directing the occupant to a public parking space, etc. You can, however, ask for money if you help someone out with car trouble, but only if the person asked you for help. And if you're going to rely on this happening enough to make a living, you might as well become a mechanic.

The takeaway? Panhandlers, save up and invest in a harmonica. (FC)

Local Bands You Should Know About

(Thus Demonstrating Your Inside Knowledge of “The Scene”)

There are plenty of good bands you already know about. Here are a few that will earn you a few points among insiders if you drop their names in casual conversation.

2nd String

The four-piece crew has been around since 2006, and, despite their name, their bouncy, inventive production (think the Neptunes and NERD) and smooth raps put them on the varsity team for Knoxville hip-hop.

Double Muslims

You never know exactly what format you'll get at a Double Muslims show—the lineup revolves around iconoclastic guitarist Eric Lee and drummer Jason Boardman, but a performance could include cello, electronics, or former Tenderhooks guitarist Ben Oyler—but you can expect mostly improvisational playing that rubs up against the boundaries of post-rock and experimental jazz.

Shortwave Society

This five-piece ensemble makes quirky, sophisticated, and elaborate pop incorporating strings, keyboards, found sound, and intricate programmed percussion. There's nothing else like it in Knoxville, and the group's first album, Voyeur, released earlier this year, reveals new details on every listen.

Three Man Band

Will Fist used to be a promiscuous musician and promoter. It seemed like he recorded and released, through his DIY label Whisk-Hutzel, every musical idea that passed through his head, and most of the ones that his friends came up with, too. He's settled down in the last couple of years with what might be his most reliable project, the Three Man Band, and it's paid off. The power trio (Fist on guitar and vocals, Abby Wintker on bass, Carey Balch on drums) matches shout-out-loud choruses with the speed of classic punk and the debilitating thud of Blue Cheer. (ME)

Restaurant Tidbits for the Fancy Free

It can't all be caviar and heirloom tomatoes at posh restaurants. Here are a few things you might want to know about ordinary Knoxville dining establishments.

• The clock in the Bearden Lenny's (near Long's Drug Store) is stuck, possibly part of a Twilight Zone episode, perhaps meant only for slick, techno-looking decor and not timekeeping, I'm not sure. I'm pretty sure it says 6:40. The takeaway advice here: Do not rely on this timepiece to indicate when you've been at the Lenny's long enough.

• Even if it says “Drive-Thru Now Open,” every once in a great while, the campus Taco Bell is not operational at, say 7 am Just in case you like soft tacos with pico and a Diet Mountain Dew for breakfast on occasion. News that counterbalances this other: The 99-cent crispy potato taco actually resembles breakfast food and is, well, 99 cents. It does involve 3 grams of saturated fat, 13 grams of fat, and 260 calories, but it also has 6 grams of protein, and some of that fat goes away if you get pico in place of baja sauce. And it's 99 cents. And people don't look at you quite so strangely when you bring it to the office once you've mentioned “crispy potatoes” as a prime ingredient.

• You must pay for a refill on iced tea at the Earth Fare deli-greenie eats spot. It's very reasonable since the stuff tends to be fair trade, organic, and such, and you get to use stevia and souped-up honey sweeteners on it. But be prepared to have a couple extra coins on you (47 cents) if your thirst is likely to catch a second wind.

• The best value in pickled okra is at Sam's Club, and it really tastes great. I realize I am trying to overcome the okra stigma, the pickle stigma, and the giant warehouse stigma in one fell swoop, but wow. It's 64 ounces for $3.36. And it's crispy and velvety at the same time. Plus, it's gluten-free, kosher, and involves just six ingredients, none of them high-fructose corn syrup or MSG: fresh okra, water, vinegar, salt, calcium chloride, polysorbate 80, yellow #5. Oh, never mind, you're still not going to like pickled okra. But how about that glass jar, perfect for pennies? (RK)

How to Curry Favor With Metro Pulse's Editor

Being editor of Metro Pulse is a shadowy position vested with fearsome powers over all facets of Knoxville life, from the halls of government to the dank corners of local nightclubs. Naturally, many supplicants try to lure the editor's patronage, hoping to gain admittance to the king-making pages of Knoxville's only alternative newsweekly. But it isn't easy. Many—probably most—fail. You can learn from their mistakes, however, and follow these simple tips for currying the editor's favor. (Note: Results not guaranteed.)

1. Do Not Call on Tuesdays, aka “Press Day.”

By tradition, the editor is very irritable and impatient on the day the paper goes to press. This is every Tuesday. Quite often, this is also the day he must tell tardy reporters to rewrite their stories at the last possible minute while the art director gives him the silent treatment for not having all the copy ready on time. So he's usually in a very bad mood. This can be compounded by a factor of 10 every time the sales manager storms into his office to demand, “Why are we writing X about Y? They're an advertiser! Do you want to go out of business?!”

2. Do Write an Amusing Cover Letter

Quite often, the editor receives e-mails that simply state, “I AM A WRITER. CAN YOU HIRE ME?” However, he needs more information than that to render such a decision. In fact, he may jump to the conclusion that if you cannot muster the energy to write an engaging letter, then you may not be able to write an interesting story. So, if you are a writer and you want to get the editor's attention, use your skills.

3. Do Not Tell the Editor He's an Idiot Before You Demand a Story

The editor realizes he will have his intelligence questioned nearly every day; this is part of his job description. Every single item in every issue is going to upset someone, somehow, guaranteed. However, when it comes to stories not yet covered, he hopes that you can quell your rage long enough to consider: A.) He is not omniscient, and may not know about whatever it is that ought to be covered unless he was actually told about it; B.) He has an editorial staff of five, which makes blanket coverage of the city quite challenging; C.) Maybe he really does know what will make for an interesting story in his publication, or whether he has the resources to cover the story. And then there's the editor's favorite, D.) Maybe the story was already covered, but you're not aware of this since you didn't actually read the paper.

4. Do Know the Editor's Name Before Demanding to Speak to the Editor

It's a little thing, really, but if you're going to yell at someone over the phone, can't you at least look up their name first? It's just common courtesy. Also: Do read the story before actually complaining about the story. This helps! (Also: It's pronounced KOR-ee TUR-zin.)

5. Do Not Be Offended if the Editor Declines to Attend Your Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony

The editor is very happy about your new initiative, and wishes you the best of luck. He appreciates that you think highly enough of him to send an invitation. However, he barely has enough time to actually do his job, let alone do it well. He is with you in spirit, however, and yearns for the day he can leave the office and meet people. (CT)

A Knox Glossary for Newcomers

Our guide to troublesome pronunciations and spellings

Agee , as in James Agee Street. The new Route 11 KAT bus has an automated announcer, a very pleasant-sounding lady who pronounces it James a-Ghee Street, with a hard G, and accent on the second syllable. Over the years, some bus drivers, perhaps not big fans of the journalist/screenwriter/novelist who was born near there, have offered other variant guesses. The correct pronunciation is the simplest: AGE-ee.

Bijou. It's a French word for gemstone, which means the j is pronounced as a zh sound. People seem to catch on to that much, and nobody ever says By Jow, unless they're making fun of how they assume fictional hillbillies might pronounce it. At issue is the first vowel. Some old-school Knoxvillians (including our current mayor) tend to pronounce the i short, while educated newcomers try to pronounce it in a more carefully French way, bee-zhoo. Because the word had already been around as a name for American theaters by the late 19th century, it may not seem necessary to revert to the original French. And if you do want to get all French about it, you need to accent the second syllable: be-ZHOO. Gesundheit. So we think either the short i or long e sound will work.

Concord, the old but unincorporated community in West Knox County, was named for a church, which was in turn named for the agreeable concept in human relations. It is not named for any town in New England, or grape, and is therefore not pronounced like “conquered.” Some newcomers pronounce our Con-cord with a droll smirk, as if it's a redneck mispronunciation. But it's pronounced the same as, say, the Damascus Concord.

Ijams Nature Center. The j is not pronounced at all, most people eventually do seem to figure that much out. Some longtime visitors and supporters say “eye-ums,” but the correct pronunciation, according to family members, is I'ms. As if it's one syllable, that rhymes with rhymes.

Kingston Pike. Longtime Knoxvillians aren't likely to say, “Go straight to Kingston,” if they're talking about Kingston Pike. Kingston, as it turns out, is an actual town, the venerable county seat of Roane County. Kingston Pike is often abbreviated as the Pike, especially if you're already in West Knoxville, but not just as Kingston.

Knoxville. It's a widely believed truism that the secret to Southern speech is adding extra syllables, especially vowels, to each word. That's not true always, if at all, and it's certainly not true in the case of the not-particularly euphonious name of our city. Though it's hard to subtract a syllable, the trick is to try to say it in a syllable and a half. And certainly not to pronounce the i as an i. As Garrison Keillor remarked during his show here in 1999, Knoxville rhymes with “boxfull.”

Krutch Park. It's pronounced with a long u, like Krootch. It's German, and originally came with a helpful umlaut.

LaFollette. Campbell County's metropolis is pronounced with the accent on the second syllable, not the third. Everyone agrees on that much. There's less accord about the spelling, and whether to include a space. We know a lot of folks who live there, and spell it La Follette, as if it were a French concept that must be spelled in two words. In Wikipedia, it's La Follette, two words. But that same Wikipedia entry affirms that it's named for Victorian-era industrialist Harvey LaFollette, one word. LaFollette's city website, and its utility board's website, spell it as one word. We prefer the one-word spelling, but respect personal preferences. Postmen, we've found, will deliver the mail with either spelling.

Lenoir City. Pronounced like Lenore. It's named for Revolutionary War officer William Lenoir, a North Carolinian of French Huguenot extraction whose son settled here. We're not sure whether he pronounced his name Lenwah, but by the 20th century, it was decidedly pronounced Lenore, like Poe's tragic heroine.

Loudon, Loudoun. Though the British earl for whom the city and county is named pronounced his name “Looden,” here it's pronounced as if it were a homonym for “loud'n.” Which is a word we use when specifying the kind of fireworks we like to buy there, just across the western county line where they're legal. If it's a city or a county, it's spelled with only one U. If a dam, a lake, or a fort are involved, use two. Reason: The town and county are both more than two centuries old, and date from an era when people weren't quite as fussy about spelling the names of people, especially British people they'd never met. Back then, Americans were dropping extraneous British vowels, especially U's, in many contexts, like favour and colour. The rediscovery of the fort in the middle 20th century by historians with reference books prompted a corrected spelling, as they were building the dam and lake, and rebuilding the fort for the tourist trade.

Louisville , the small town just across the river from Keller Bend, is pronounced with an S, unlike the one in Kentucky, which was named for the French king. For whom Louisville, Tenn., was named, no one seems to know for sure. But it could have been for a Mr. Louis who wasn't necessarily French.

Maryville has about eight pronunciations, all correct, mainly based on the sliding scale of how precisely the vowels are enunciated, but some more correct than others. It's named for Mary Grainger Blount, the first lady of the pre-statehood Southwestern Territory from 1791-1796. She might have approved the pronunciation “Mary-Ville,” but today it's the equivalent of saying “I'ma newcomer from Des Moines.” Some locals slur it to Murvl. In 100 years, it will be pronounced Merle. But now, the safest pronunciation is a compromise between the spelling and the slurring, with the “merri” in “merrily” and a “vul” at the end. How you might pronounce a word spelled “Merrivle.”

Neyland Stadium i Drive jest skomplikowany. The correct pronunciation, we're told, is Nee-land. However, don't be surprised if many longtime Knoxvillians pronounce it Nay-land. It's understandable, and there's a town in Wales that's pronounced that way, with a long A sound. That's the way it was pronounced almost universally for years. To some Vol fans, it seems the old-fashioned pronunciation, Nay-land Stay-dium—and people from Neyland, Wales, would agree. However, after the warrior-coach's 1962 death, his widow began insisting that the family always pronounced it with a long E; she sometimes slapped her knee as a visual aid. Announcers eventually fell in line.

Roan, Roane. Roan is a mountain to the east, believed to be named for the color often applied to horses. Roane is a county to the west, named for Archibald Roane, Tennessee's second governor (who's buried in Farragut).

Sequoyah Hills. Not Sequoia Hills. Sequoyah Hills and the Sequoia redwood of California are both named for the same guy, the Cherokee leader (1760-1843) who was born about 40 miles from here. But because he didn't care for the Roman alphabet—in fact, he's famous for inventing a whole new one he liked better—he never standardized the spelling of his name for the convenience of Anglos. In the neighborhood and in other contexts in East Tennessee, we generally use the H spelling.

Sevier County, Sevierville. It's a French name. Yes, John Sevier was part French Huguenot; the name was originally Xavier. We're not sure how he pronounced it. But we pronounce it as if it's a homonym for severe.

Sterchi Lofts, etc. Named mainly for furniture tycoon James Sterchi (1867-1932), who was son of German-speaking Swiss immigrants from a canton near Italy, it's pronounced with a hard C sound. The second syllable is just like the “chi” in “chianti.” The Sterchi family, still very much present in the Knoxville area, all pronounce it as if it rhymes with turkey. Note: Literary types may have an unfair advantage—James Agee's autobiographical novel A Death in the Family includes a pronunciation guide in Chapter One.

Tennessee. Accent the last syllable, please. There's been a surprising trend to insist to outsiders that real, old-school Tennesseans always pronounce it with an accent on the first syllable. Certainly some do, but we think it's mainly pockets of rural East Tennesseans, and moreover, pockets of rural East Tennesseans who are trying to sound tough, minimizing that soft pantywaist stuff that comes after Tenn. However, many multi-generational Tennessee old-timers do pronounce it with the accent on the last syllable. If it doesn't sound as tough, it sounds prettier. If you doubt it, watch Lester Flatt, born in Duncan's Chapel, Tenn., in 1914, talking about home on The Beverly Hillbillies, nearly 50 years ago. He liked that last syllable. Further confusing matters is that there's evidence that Tennessee's founders, John Sevier and them, accented the second syllable. Based on the Cherokee word Tanasi, that maybe makes sense.

Published: Thursday, September 09, 2010, 7:11 AM     Updated: Thursday, September 09, 2010, 7:32 AM

Country music is that pretty odd album mix of veteran and new. Sometimes, the “new” guys are ones like Alan Jackson, whose version of the genre was pretty much a throwback to “the good ol' days” of George Hamilton IV, Marty Robbins and the like. Eventually, the new guys become the foundation of country, like Jackson, George Strait and Randy Travis.

Sometimes, they're something totally different, to the point where they almost redefine country music. Think Garth Brooks, Travis Tritt or even John Rich and Big Kenny Alphin, aka Big & Rich. Each incarnation adds new blood and new life to the genre, growing its fan base and expanding its relevance. Yeah, those are big corporate-type words when talking about a style of music that really does have songs about lovesick hound dogs (“Big Red”) and farm implements (“She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy”). That doesn't make them any less true.

Jason Aldean, who headlines the Saturday night lineup at this year's two-day WGAR Country Music Jam, is one of the artists infusing new life to the genre. His songs, such as “Hicktown,” “Johnny Cash,” “Crazy Town” and “She's Country,” are a little bit of what you might get if you crossed Kris Kristofferson with the Allman Brothers. But even then, those songs have something in common with the music of Jackson and Brooks.

“They all tell a story,” Aldean said in a call from his Nashville, Tenn., home. “It's real stuff people go through in their everyday lives.”

Oh sure, he said, there will be the detractors who feign drinking from a corn whiskey jug and say country is about nothing more than “wives who leave and dogs,” and their minds are made up. But those who listen learn that it's so much more than that.

And fortunately, Aldean said, other artists like Taylor Swift and Lady Antebellum are crossing over into the pop world and “helping to bring listeners to our format.” These new listeners find out the old stereotypes aren't true, that there's a depth and meaning to the genre that goes far beyond mama and trucks and prison and getting drunk, to paraphrase the Steve Goodman-penned tune made famous by Akron's David Allan Coe.

Aldean is doing his part, too. His fourth album is due out this fall, but the first single off it, “My Kind of Party,” already has hit the radio. It debuted at No. 41 and should keep rising.

Asked who decided that song should be the first single, Aldean said: “That would be me. The last few years, I've established a good relationship with the head of my record label. You do that by suggesting what you think are going to be the hits on your projects . . . and being right. So far, that's happened.”

The song, written by Brantley Gilbert, almost made it onto Aldean's third album, “Relentless.” But it just didn't fit there, he said. This time, though, it drives this new CD, to the point where the album probably will be titled after it.

And while “Party,” does have that typical Jason Aldean rocker tone, there are a few surprises on the CD, he said. One song, called “See You When I See You,” fills that bill. It's not a ballad per se, like “Amarillo Sky,” but more of a midtempo rocker. Uptempo songs — “Johnny Cash,” “Hicktown,” etc. — are perfect for live shows. But you need something a little different so that fans realize you're not a one-trick pony, he acknowledged.

Pretty veteran move for a new guy, don't you think?

The 2010 MTV Video Music Awards are right around the corner — and by “corner,” I mean Sunday at 9 pm ET/PT. This is great news for pretty much everyone, particularly Lady Gaga fans and those with an unquenchable thirst for the art of wagering (or, as some people call it, “a dangerous and destructive gambling addiction”).

See, the VMAs are arguably the greatest gambling event of the year, although winners are voted on by fans, which makes predicting the show's outcome nearly impossible. Still, none of that has stopped me from making my VMA predictions for two straight years now, with varying degrees of success. Co mogę powiedzieć? I like to live dangerously. So I've decided to throw on the old prognostication cap and do it again this year. Here are my ironclad picks for the 2010 Video Music Awards. Satisfaction (and accuracy) guaranteed. Only not really.

Best Male Video
» BoB (featuring Hayley Williams), “Airplanes”
» Drake, “Find Your Love”
» Eminem, “Not Afraid”
» Jason Derülo, “In My Head”
» Usher (featuring Will.I.Am), “OMG”

My Take : Drake's “Find Your Love” is ambitious, but some subtitles would definitely have been appreciated. Jason Derülo and Usher both packed a whole lot of smoove moves into their clips, but there's only one logical choice …

My Pick : Eminem. The fans determine the winners at the VMAs, and there's a reason Recovery keeps selling 100,000 copies a week.

Best Female Video
» Beyoncé (featuring Lady Gaga), “Video Phone”
» Katy Perry (featuring Snoop Dogg), “California Gurls”
» Ke$ha, “Tik Tok”
» Lady Gaga, “Bad Romance”
» Taylor Swift, “Fifteen”

My Take : Taylor Swift is sort of the wild card here, but I think Best Female boils down to a race between Katy Perry, Beyoncé (with Gaga) and, uh, Gaga again.

My Pick : Lady Gaga. Her fans are insane and will put her over the top in a tight race. Don't feel too bad for Perry, though. I have a feeling she'll be getting her award a bit later in the night.

Best Rock Video
» 30 Seconds to Mars, “Kings and Queens”
» Florence and the Machine, “Dog Days Are Over”
» MGMT, “Flash Delirium”
» Muse, “Uprising”
» Paramore, “Ignorance”

My Take : Not to nitpick, because I'm glad Florence and the Machine are getting some shine, but it's pretty odd album to me that Vampire Weekend, an equally indie act that had a #1 album this year (and a pair of well-received videos) weren't nominated in this category. On a more positive note, I'm glad MGMT's delightfully weird “Flash Delirium” did get a nod … I honestly thought I was the only person who actually dug it.

My Pick : 30 Seconds to Mars. Never underestimate the voting power of the Echelon (that's the codename for their super intense fanbase, btw). Also, never harmlessly refer to said fanbase as “the so-called Echelon” in a story, either, lest you want your inbox to be flooded with angry e-mails from kids in Germany. Trust me on this one.

Best Hip-Hop Video
» BoB (featuring Hayley Williams), “Airplanes”
» Drake (featuring Kanye West, Lil Wayne and Eminem), “Forever”
» Eminem, “Not Afraid”
» Jay-Z and Swizz Beatz, “On to the Next One”
» Kid Cudi (featuring MGMT and Ratatat), “Pursuit of Happiness”

My Take : A category loaded with heavy-hitters, Best Hip-Hop Video is basically the Group of Death at the 2010 VMAs. When in doubt, you gotta go with the one video that has the most big names attached to it. Which means …

My Pick : Drake, Kanye, Weezy, Em, celebrity chef Mario Batali and 23rd president of the United States Benjamin Harrison for the win! The engravers will be working overtime trying to fit all their names on one Moonman. Related: Who actually gets to keep this award?

Best Pop Video
» BoB (featuring Bruno Mars), “Nothin' on You”
» Beyoncé (featuring Lady Gaga), “Video Phone”
» Katy Perry (featuring Snoop Dogg), “California Gurls”
» Ke$ha, “Tik Tok”
» Lady Gaga, “Bad Romance”

My Take : Another hotly contested category, and Lady Gaga is once again nominated twice. So I'm going upset special on this one …

My Pick : Katy Perry. She's the undisputed Queen of Summer 2010, and she shocks the world here. Hopefully she'll also be wearing some sort of chest-mounted frosting cannons to celebrate.

Best New Artist
» Broken Bells, “The Ghost Inside”
» Jason Derülo, “In My Head”
» Justin Bieber (featuring Ludacris), “Baby”
» Ke$ha, “Tik Tok”
» Nicki Minaj (featuring Sean Garrett), “Massive Attack”

My Take : On the surface, this is Justin Bieber and four acts who aren't Justin Bieber. In any other year, I'd say Ke$ha or Nicki Minaj could win, but this is 2010, and the World Health Organization is just about to start inoculating people for Bieber Fever. Unrelated: For a second, I thought the group Massive Attack were nominated here, which wouldn't have made any sense, but would've been pretty awesome nonetheless.

My Pick : Broken Bells. Tylko żartowałem! It'll be Bieber in a landslide. The much-coveted Ludacris endorsement is the difference-maker.

Video of the Year
» 30 Seconds to Mars, “Kings and Queens”
» BoB (featuring Hayley Williams), “Airplanes”
» Eminem, “Not Afraid”
» Florence and the Machine, “Dog Days Are Over”
» Lady Gaga, “Bad Romance”
» Lady Gaga (featuring Beyoncé), “Telephone”

My Take : There was, without a doubt, one clip that dominated popular culture in 2010, and it will be rewarded on VMA night.

My Pick : Lady Gaga and Beyoncé. “Telephone” is the biggest video in recent memory, and Gaga is the biggest artist. A win here is the much-deserved coronation for both. And, when coupled with B's Video of the Year win for “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” last year, this could make two consecutive VMAs where the most deserving actually won the night's biggest honor. A watershed moment, indeed.

The Other Video of the Year
» Hanson, “Thinking 'Bout Something”
» Insane Clown Posse, “Miracles”
» Mayday Parade, “Kids in Love”
» MIA, “Born Free”
» OK Go, “This Too Shall Pass”
» Vampire Weekend, “Cousins”

My Take : A completely fictional category made up by me as a way of honoring the videos that didn't get nominated, these six clips represent the best of the rest. Inventive (“Thinking 'Bout Something,” “This Too Shall Pass,” “Cousins”), incendiary (“Born Free,” “Kids in Love”) and instructive (“Miracles”), they're all proof that there's still merit in music videos.

My Pick : MIA With its graphic violence and rather blunt message (basically that the guys wearing the US flags can be the brutes too), “Born Free” stirred up more than its fair share of controversy. But that's what great art is supposed to do. And make no mistake about it, this is definitely great art. Not to mention astute, fearless political commentary too. Sadly, as the year pressed on, its message only proved to be eerily prescient.

What are your VMA predictions? Share them in the comments!

A strong Latin Jazz bandleader carries a specific set of tools that guide them through their multiple responsibilities; the best bandleaders make these skills look natural, but they are actually learned over time. Any good leader spends years, and sometimes decades, as a sideman behind multiple artists. They work hard, watch the masters, learn the necessary inside information, and take notes about their role within the group. The more diverse experiences that any young sideman encounters will broaden their bag of tricks and ready them more completely to work as a leader. These early experiences solidify a bandleader's artistic ideas, teach them how to run a group, and prepare them for a long and productive career.

Pianist Hilario Durán spent his early musical life filling his time with rich artistic experiences, readying himself for the time when he would step into his role as a bandleader. Inspired by his father's deep connection with music, Durán found himself irresistibly drawn to the piano, eventually landing at the Amadeo Roldan National Conservatory. He dived deeply into classical studies at the school, building his prodigious technique while spending his free time focused on jazz and improvisation. After graduation, Durán did his mandatory three years in the Cuban military, playing both piano and clarinet in the army band, and upon release, he quickly found work on Havana's lively music scene. Recognizing Durán's immense talent, Chucho Valdés recommended him for the role of pianist in the Orquesta Cubana de Musica Moderna. This high profile gig led to steady work as a pianist, producer, and arranger in EGREM studios, and eventually, a job with the virtuosic trumpet player Arturo Sandoval. Durán toured the world with Sandoval's band, and once the trumpet player defected to the United States, Durán continued to perform with the musicians as Perspectiva. Several years later, drummer Guillermo Barretto introduced Durán to saxophonist Jane Bunnett, who employed the pianist for her album Spirits of Havana . As Durán became an essential piece of Bunnett's band, she encouraged him to record as a solo artist. Bunnett and her husband Larry Cramer helped Durán record three very different albums— Francisco's Song , an album without percussion, the Havana based Killer Tumbao , and Habana Nocturna , a fully orchestrated Latin Jazz album. As Durán reputation grew, he moved his family to Toronto, where he became an essential part of the music scene. His collaboration with local bassist Roberto Occhipinti led to the trio album with drummer Horacio Hernandez, New Danzon . Durán returned to his love of big band Latin Jazz on From the Heart , a rousing collection of pieces from a full big band captured on CD and DVD. Durán's 2010 album Motion focuses upon his trio with Occhipinti and drummer Mark Kelso, delivering a strong representation of original compositions and arrangements that confirms the pianist's role as an important role model in modern Latin Jazz.

Durán spent many years applying his vast musical talents to the support of other artists, a fact that prepared him thoroughly for his current role. As a bandleader, Durán has asserted his voice as a composer and soloist, as well as shined the spotlight on the skills of his able sidemen. In Part One of our interview with Durán , we looked at the influence of his father, his studies at the Amadeo Roldan National Conservatory, and his time in the military band. In Part Two of our interview , we discussed the impact of the Orquesta Cubana de Musica Moderna, his connection to Chucho Valdés, and work in EGREM studios. Part Three of our interview focused upon Durán's job as a pianist in Sandoval's band, the group's continuation as Perspectiva, and his association with Bunnett. The final piece of our interview digs into Durán's career as a bandleader, looking at all his released, including the 2010 album Motion .

LATIN JAZZ CORNER: Your first three albums are so very different. Francisco's Song didn't really have percussion on it and then you went back to Havana on Killer Tumbao with all those great musicians from Cuba and then you had the strings on Habana Nocturna —why were you changing things so much?

HILARIO DURAN: What I hear just depends on the vision that I wanted. I tried different formats to make me work in different ways and to represent the music in different ways. Larry Cramer and Jane (Bunnett) helped me put together all those albums. It was just like that.

Francisco's Song had no percussion, which was a great idea. We tried to find a drummer for this album, but we couldn't find one. We couldn't make a deal with any of the drummers, so we finally decided to do it without drums. It was a great idea . . . I consider it a great idea. I worked with Alain Caron on bass, Jane Bunnett on flute, and Sonny Greenwich on guitar. It was great to work with Alain Caron. We did a version of Giant Steps and he really caught me on that. He plays so good on that, it's incredible; it's like drinking water. Sonny Greenwich is a great guitarist—he's very original and he's got a unique sound.

LJC: When you go onto Killer Tumbao , you've got some incredible Cuban musicians—Dafnis Prieto, Jorge Reyes, and more. At that point, how would you say that jazz in Havana had changed?

HD: It's always changing; it's developing every day. I don't know . . . there's so much good music there. The people keep immigrating all the time, but there are still so many great musicians. When one immigrates, then there's still another one working on the scene there. It's like a music store, there's so much development of music. I don't know why, but it's great.

LJC: Your album in 2004, New Danzon , was a trio album. When I first heard that album, it was the first time Roberto Occhipinti caught my ear, who seems like an amazing player. How did you meet him and start working?

HD: I met him right after I moved here. When I started working in Toronto for the first time, I was introduced to him by Jane. Then we started working together. We started working in a small place here in downtown Toronto every Thursday; it's called College Street Bar. We started jamming every Thursday. After that I started working with Jane and I recommended him. I didn't know that he played Cuban music so well at first, but then I recommended him to play with Jane's band. So we started working together for a few years with Jane in her band. We did Ritmo and Soul and then a couple of more albums.

LJC: You also had Horacio Hernandez on New Danzon . Was he someone that you had known from Cuba or did you meet him after you moved?

HD: I knew him from Cuba, from a long time ago. The first time I met him was in the EGREM studios. This is quite a funny story. After a few years working in EGREM, I was more experienced as a producer. I started producing an album with a singer Donato Proveda—he lives in Miami now, he has a great career as a singer and composer. I started producing this record with Donato Proveda and I started hiring the band. I asked who he had for a drummer; Donato showed me Horacio and told me, “This is the drummer.” I didn't know Horacio at this time. I called Donato in private and I said, “Listen, this is the work of very experienced musicians. You can not call an amateur here to record an album.” I didn't want to work with him. I said, “You can not call people that don't have experience, don't read music, and such. So, please, we have to hire another guy.” But Donato said, “No, no, I want this guy.” After I complained and we had a discussion, I said, “OK, I will agree to playing with this guy.” He recorded and he did so well—he was amazing!

After that, we started working together. A while later, he started working with Gonzalo (Rubalcaba); he did all these records with Gonzalo. He had a great career with him until he moved to Italy. It was a year later that I encountered him again, because Jane Bunnett hired him to do some gigs in the States. We started working together again, and then he recorded on my album Habana Nocturna . We also couple of small albums that were not jazz albums; we did a mambo record also. It wasn't until Roberto gave me the idea to do a trio record that we called Horacio and did New Danzon .

LJC: The next year, you worked with Perspectiva again on Encuentro En La Habana .

HD: Yes, I went down to Havana to reunite with my former colleagues, my friends from Perspectiva—Jorge Reyes on bass, Jorge Luis Chicoy on guitar, and Reynaldo Valera on congas. We did some tracks in Havana; there were some beautiful tracks on this album. Then we brought the recording here to Toronto and we called Ernesto Simpson, another member of Perspectiva here. We overdubbed Ernesto Simpson here on two tracks. Then we added percussionists Pedro Martinez and Emilio del Monto and the saxophonist Roman Feliu.

LJC: Just having watched videos of Perespectiva in the nineties and then listening to this album, it sounds pretty different—what for you had changed?

HD: I changed it a lot. I told you that during the time of Perspectiva, I was obsessed with keyboards. I had this guitar-keyboard thing; I just wanted to play that, I didn't want to play piano. I wanted to play this and program synthesizers—I spent three years with that! So it's quite different. Some of the tracks from the original Perspectiva days sound awful to me, but some of them sound great. There's one track on YouTube that's really something amazing that I did at that time.

LJC: Do you think that you'll ever go back to Perspectiva again? Is that a project that you'll do in the future?

HD: I don't know . . . we could probably do another record. If I could find someone to sponsor us with some money to record with these guys again, I would do it. I would be very happy to do it. I love those guys. We were working for so many years. Jorge Reyes worked with me in the Orquesta Cubana de Musica Moderna for a number of years. After that, we played with Arturo for ten years. After that, we played together with Perspectiva for four years. I've known Jorge Reyes since high school in Havana, since the national school of music. So with those guys, I've spent almost half of my life playing, sharing awful rooms in Europe, and touring all over the world. So we've shared a lot; we love each other a lot.

LJC: In 2006, you released From the Heart , which is an amazing album and DVD. You mentioned before how you were really influenced by the big sound of the Orquesta Cubana de Musica Moderna; what were you trying to do with your own big band project?

HD: I've had other influences because I've lived out of Cuba for a number of years. It's quite different how much influence you get here out of Cuba. You get so many things when you change your way of life. That changes the way your music sounds. But still I have that sound in my head—the Orquesta Cubana de Musica Moderna. That's the sound I want to represent in this album. It's my tribute to that time and my tribute to those Cuban conductors. They were the greatest that I've played with ever. It's my tribute to them and a tribute to that sound that I left there in Havana. But it also includes a lot of musical influences that I have here in Toronto and North America. I combined both things.

LJC: The band seems really tight and together—is that a band that works there in Toronto?

HD: Mostly the band works here. We did a gig last month at the Toronto Jazz Festival. But we haven't been playing much lately.

LJC: Is that a group that you might record with again or tour with?

HD: Not for a while. I'm working now with a 13-piece band. It's a smaller version of that band. I got hired to play at the Cultural Olympic Games in Vancouver this year. So I reunited a 13-piece orchestra. That's the orchestra that I have been working with lately also.

LJC: The new album, Motion , is a trio album, but this time, you have Mark Kelso playing drums. How did he get involved?

HD: We started working with this trio about five years ago. This is basically the result of all these years of working together. We did a tour across Canada in 2008. After that, we decided to put together our repertoire and go into the studio. That's what we did.

LJC: There's some tracks on there that really stand out. One of them is the opening track, “It's Only Seven.” It takes that very Cuban groove and puts it in 7/4. How do you approach writing a turn like that and keeping a traditional sound?

HD: I love 7/4. It's a very comfortable time signature for me; it's really, really comfortable. It's so comfortable that I'm trying to avoid writing music in this time signature. I think that my life is in 7/4. It's just like that—on this track, I tried to represent all the styles of music from Cuban to straight-ahead jazz to straight cha cha cha. That's what I tried to represent in this tune. It's very much an experiment.

LJC: Another piece that stands out is “Havana City.” You've got the strings and the bata in addition to your trio. What's different for you in there—how do the strings bring out another side to your playing?

HD: I recorded this tune for the first time when I went to Havana to record with Perspectiva, about three years before Motion. I decided to record this tune again. I tried to do this with the strings and the voice of Joaquin; he did a great job. I tried to represent the feeling in Havana City right now. All the things that people living there experience—all the struggles, all the happiness, all the suffering. I put this together in this overture. I also mixed it together with all the things of the past life that I had in Havana—all the friends that I left behind and my family, all the places where I used to hang in Havana. I was thinking about all of this, and I tried to put it in this tune.

LJC: “For Emiliano” is another tune that stands out on Motion . I assume that's for Emiliano Salvador—you really capture a lot of his spirit on that tune . . .

HD: Yea, this is another important guy. Emiliano was one of the craziest guys I ever met, and he was also one of the greatest creators. The same way that Chucho Valdes influenced me a lot, Emiliano also influenced me very much. Chucho Valdes was the Cuban version of Oscar Peterson in Havana; Emiliano Salvador is the Cuban version of Bud Powell. He was a guy that was really into the hardcore jazz scene. He really knew how to swing on the piano. He was also one of the first guys that started experimenting with pretty odd album time signatures. That's why this tune is also in 7/4.

LJC: The other tune on the tune on the album that really pops out at me in “Danza Negra,” the Ernesto Lecuona tune. It's such a traditional tune, but you do it so differently. How do you find that line between balancing traditional ideas with trying to look ahead?

HD: Since my time with Arturo Sandoval, I've always tried to do an arrangement of this tune. Every time I've tried to write an arrangement, it's been difficult. The second part is upbeat, so I don't know how to represent this so fast. I tried to do it during that time, and then after I left, I didn't do it anymore. Roberto Occhipinti, he gave me the idea to work this tune with a New Orleans groove. We put the New Orleans groove behind the song and combined it with a version of the danzon.

These two grooves, they have a common point in history of Cuban music. The danzon came from the contradanza, which was brought by the French immigrants after the revolution in Haiti. They moved to the east of Cuba and they brought the contradanza from Europe. Some of those immigrants also came through Louisiana and New Orleans to the north of Cuba. This contradanza became the contradanza criolla because it became blended with the African drums and the Spanish flamenco thing. This all became contradanza criolla. The Louisiana groove also has a connection with contradanza at some point in history. That's why this groove gets so well blended.

Ernesto Lecuona is one of my idols. I am so glad that I could really play this tune. It's like a small tribute to him.

LJC: You've done a lot—you've had a full career and broken so much new ground. What would you still like to do musically?

HD: I want to keep working on different projects. Right now, I'm trying to play the music from my new album; I'm trying to play this all over the world. That's my main goal. I'm planning to stay here in this beautiful city—I'm not planning to move anywhere in the next eighty years! I want to really keep working hard and doing new projects—working with my orchestra, working with my trio, composing . . . keep doing my thing and making a living!
Continue…

I've read the Scott Pilgrim comics. I've seen the movie. I've played the video game. What is particularly unusual about this franchise is that every aspect of it seems to have been made with a real love and attention to detail. That the movie loses almost none of the source material's energy and enthusiasm despite condensing 1200-some pages into less than two hours is remarkable enough and, while the comics and the movie both are rife with video game references and iconography, for the game itself to be a genuinely inventive and enjoyable experience on its own: That's almost unheard of. It's clear that everyone involved was genuinely passionate about this world and its characters, a refreshing change of pace for most of the comic book properties we've had to deal with in recent years.

That passion extends to the film's soundtrack, out now on ABKCO Records. Music plays an important part in Bryan Lee O'Malley's graphic novels. Scott plays bass in a self-proclaimed “terrible” band, Sex Bob-Omb, and the first volume memorably provides a chord chart so the reader can play along with them (“It's easy, because they're kind of crappy!”). Director Edgar Wright, who also whipped up impressive soundtracks for his previous films Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz , understands how integral music is to the story. In the liner notes, he talks about how he and O'Malley bonded over shared songs and bands, describing the process as “an endless transatlantic mixtape.” To put it simply, Wright, along with co-executive producer Marc Platt and music supervisor Kathy Nelson, nail it. These songs not only work seamlessly within the context of the film, they more than stand on their own as an album.

To represent the fictional bands in the movie, the filmmakers assembled three beloved indie artists: Beck for Sex Bob-Omb; Broken Social Scene for rival band Crash and the Boys; and Metric for The Clash at Demonhead, the band fronted by Scott's ex-girlfriend Envy Adams. For being such a terrible band, the four Sex Bob-Omb songs are the stand-outs, fuzzy blasts of raw punk energy. On the boisterous opener “We Are Sex Bob-Omb,” it sounds like the guitars and drums are being bashed to within an inch of their lives. “Garbage Truck” is a catchy, poppy love song told from a unique point of view: “I'll be your garbage man/I'll take out your junk/And I'll crush it down.” In the film, the driving “Threshold” is used during Sex Bob-Omb's amplifier battle with the Katayanagi Twins, and as such, there's plenty of whining, stuttering feedback. As for “Summertime,” it's as sunny and hummable a summer tune as I've heard in a while. In addition to Beck and regular collaborator Brian LeBarton, actors Michael Cera, Mark Webber, and Alison Pill are all credited on the songs, and all acquit themselves admirably. Webber's vocals, in particular, are well-suited to the underground indie feel.

The two Crash and the Boys songs are, by design, toss-offs; the first, “I'm So Sad, So Very, Very Sad,” is 13 seconds long, only about five of which could be called music. It's a joke that works better in the movie, but it's still funny here. The other song, “We Hate You Please Die,” clocking in at just under a minute, is chockful of squalling guitar, frenetic drums, and a pretty terrific bassline. Metric's “Black Sheep” is the most polished and fully-formed of the new songs, which befits The Clash at Demonhead, as they're the only band in the movie to escape the independent scene and win a major label contract. Built around actress Brie Larson's seductive vocal, the song is part come-on, part kiss-off, which basically exemplifies the push-and-pull nature of the Scott/Envy relationship.

The pre-existing material on the soundtrack is culled from a variety of different bands, from Black Lips to The Rolling Stones, but they're all of a piece with the movie's energetic spirit. Plumtree's 1997 single “Scott Pilgrim” inspired the series, so it's a given that it's here; it also doesn't hurt that it's an infectiously earnest song about a crush, with the sing-along refrain, “I've liked you for a thousand years.” Likewise, Frank Black's “I Heard Ramona Sing,” from which O'Malley took the name of the girl whose seven evil ex-boyfriends Scott must defeat, is a natural fit.

The rest of the selections, all of which are strong, range from the beautiful–Beachwood Sparks' cover of Sade's “By Your Side,” which may have made me cry a little bit; T. Rex's “Teenage Dream,” which adds just the right touch of melodrama with its intense strings and inscrutable lyrics; and “Anthems for a Seventeen Year Old Girl,” wherein Broken Social Scene pop up as themselves, giving a prime example of why they're a great band–to the ominous: Black Lips' garage punk raver “O Katrina!” ; The Bluetones' “Sleazy Bed Track,” which transforms a lover's pretty odd album behavior into mesmerizing low-key drama; Blood Red Shoes' furious “It's Getting Boring by the Sea”; and The Rolling Stones' 1966 classic “Under My Thumb,” an inclusion which initially surprised me but which made sense almost immediately, what with its themes of obsession and control.

Near the end of the album, we've got two versions of a new Beck song, “Ramona.” The acoustic version is a reprise of the one-note composition Scott plays for Ramona in the movie. Consisting of simple guitar strumming and the words, “Ramona, oh my my,” it prompts her to say, “I can't wait to hear it when it's finished.” “Finished?” is Scott's baffled reply. The second, full-band version is the one it sounds like Scott could have written after the emotional revelations of the film. It puts flesh on the bare bones of the first version, adding the maturity Scott was lacking previously. It's a plea to Ramona to take him as he is, and for them to give it a shot despite it all: “And if it's all a lie/The truth's not far behind/We could try to live right for the moment.” By the time you reach the song at the very end of the movie, it's earned the sentiment, and the right to such a lovely ballad. Capping things off is Brian LeBarton's 8-bit cover of “Threshold,” perfect video game music which sums up the film's playful style.

What unifies all of the varying styles and recordings is the filmmakers' innate understanding of music and how much importance it carries in a film, especially a film as entrenched in the indie scene as Scott Pilgrim vs. the World . As a general rule, non-score soundtracks of comic book movies aren't very good. I love the first couple Spider-Man movies as much as the next comics geek, but their Nickelback/Dashboard Confessional-riddled soundtracks weren't what I'd call inspiring. With Scott Pilgrim , we might have the first authentically great comic book soundtrack on our hands.

View the original article on blogcritics.org